SAMMAMISH — This was the best two-for-one deal the Camas Papermakers could have imagined.
Not only are the Papermakers going to the Class 4A football state semifinals, they got there by beating the same team that ended their season a year ago.
Quarterback Jack Colletto rushed for 209 yards and threw for three touchdowns Saturday, Cooper McNatt had a career day, and Camas scored the final two TDs of the evening, beating Skyline 28-14 in the quarterfinals.
The Spartans beat Camas in 2015 in the same round.
“We’ve been thinking about this as soon as that happened,” senior Cooper McNatt said, noting this squad went to work the very next day, just looking forward to another opportunity.
“To come back here again and beat them on their own field, it’s huge,” McNatt said.
McNatt caught six passes for 106 yards and two scores, plus he intercepted a pass on defense which led to a Camas touchdown.
“It’s just another day,” McNatt said.
No, he was not referring to himself, as a guy who does all that every game.
“Someone’s gotta do it. Every game, someone steps up. Everybody stepped up today.”
Camas will play Sumner in one semifinal. It is possible — perhaps probable — that the game will be played in Clark County, maybe at Doc Harris Stadium. The WIAA said nothing will be official until Sunday.
The Papermakers got there by holding the Spartans to 253 yards of offense.
“Oh my gosh, this game, it’s something else,” senior linebacker Tanner Howington said. “It was a big worry to come back up here. We’ve never beaten Skyline before. It was on my mind a lot. It’s a good feeling to play a really good football game.”
Skyline, a perennial power, tied the game at 14 on the first drive of the third quarter.
It took four plays for Camas to strike back, though. Colletto hit Ryan Rushall for a 58-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead.
“I got jammed on the play earlier. I wasn’t going to let that happen again,” Rushall said. “I just made a move on him to get free. Jack just threw a great ball.”
The Spartans would not get past midfield on its next two possessions.
Colletto found McNatt on a wide receiver screen, and the play broke for a 52-yard touchdown to make it 28-14 early in the fourth quarter.
“I knew if I kept chugging, I’d get there,” McNatt said. “I was pretty happy when I passed the goal line.”
Skyline would get to the red zone on its next possession, but a third-down sack and an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to Camas, giving the game to Camas, as well. The Papermakers would run out the final six minutes.
Colletto’s 17-yard run on his final carry of the night put him over the 200-yard mark. He also threw for 197 yards and his three scores.
“It’s great to get some payback, but they really are a great team,” Colletto said of the Spartans. “They tested us. We were fortunate we could execute and make it happen.”
Camas coach Jon Eagle acknowledged that it did mean a little more than usual. Skyline also beat Camas in the 2012 semifinals.
“I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a monkey we did have to get off our backs,” Eagle said. “It felt pretty good to beat a pretty good team at their place.”
The Spartans scored first after forcing a Camas punt to open the game. Skyline went 35 yards on five plays, scoring on a touchdown pass from Drew Kistner to Bradley Kim.
Two possessions later, it was tied. Colletto scored on a 53-yard run.
Defenses ruled for most of the second quarter. McNatt skied high for his interception with 1:44 to play in the half.
Nine plays later, Camas took the lead on a Colletto-to-McNatt 6-yard TD pass with 11 seconds on the clock.
Skyline went with a trick play to tie in the third quarter. Kim, a wide receiver, threw a 30-yard TD pass to Luke Stiles. That would be it for the Spartans, though.
“It’s good to know the defense has the offense’s back,” Howington said. “Usually the offense is putting up big numbers. If they can’t, though, we have to have their back. Nice to know we can hold an opponent like that.”
Defensive lineman Dylan Ingram, Howington, and the just about every Papermaker who played defense made a play in this one.
That is how the Papermakers returned to the semifinals for the fourth time since 2011 — the first since 2013.
“It’s just something we’d give anything for,” Ingram said. “Leave it all on the field and the results will take care of themselves. Put in everything you’ve got.”
The result was just fine for Camas. The opponent made it feel even a little better for the Papermakers.
CAMAS 28, SKYLINE 14
Camas 7 7 7 7—28
Skyline 7 0 7 0—14
First quarter
Sky — Bradley Kim 9 pass from Drew Kistner (Kevin McGrane kick)
Cam — Jack Colletto 53 run (Michael Boyle kick)
Second quarter
Cam — Cooper McNatt 6 pass from Colletto (Boyle kick)
Third quarter
Sky — Luke Stiles 30 pass from Kim (McGrane kick)
Cam — Ryan Rushall 58 pass from Colletto (Boyle kick)
Fourth quarter
Cam — McNatt 52 pass from Colletto (Boyle kick)
Individual statistics
RUSHING — Camas: Michael Matthews 6-4, Colletto 25-209, Elias Bashir 1-(minus 1), Will Schultz 2-2, Team 1-(minus 2). Skyline: Isaiah Shim 3-19, Kistner 13-15, Prescott Wong 2-13, Riley Gill 13-68.
PASSING — Camas: Colletto 11-21-1-197. Skyline: Kistner 16-25-1-108, Kim 1-1-0-30.
RECEIVING — Camas: Matthews 1-5, Drake Owens 1-14, Christian Nghiem 2-14, McNatt 6-106, Rushall 1-58. Skyline: Gill 3-7, Alex Diegel 1-2, Kim 6-45, Luke Stiles 6-66, CJ Moore 1-18.
